Fuel vaporizer



J. GRAZIANO FUEL VAPORIZER Nov.A 19, 1946.

Filed Nov. 8, 1945 e fazz'Q/'M 0,5. 47INVENTOR.

BY y

A'ITD R N EYB Patented Nov. i9, 1946 UNITE-D STATE.

s PATENT orifice Claims. 1

This invention relates to a, fuel heater and Vaporizer and it is oneobject of the invention to provide a device adapted to be mountedbetween `a carburetor and the intake manifold of an engine where it willserve very effectively to heat the combustible mixture flowing to themanifold and cause better vaporization of the fuel mixture and alsofurnish a preheated supply of fuel to a cold engine.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device oi this characterwherein the fuel mixture dischargedirom the carburetor passes through adrum enclosed in a casing mounted upon the heating chamber whichprojects from the exhaust manifold of the engine, the casing havingcommunication with the intake manifold, and there being heating member-sin the casing with which the fuel mixture makes contact as it owsthrough the casing.

lAnother object of the invention is to provide a device of thischaracter wherein the heating membersl in the` drum consist of metaldiscs of suiiicient porocity to permit the combustible mixture to passthrough them, an electric heating circuit being associated with thediscs so that by closing a switch they may be heated prior to startingthe engine and warm fuel supplied to the engine.

Another object of the inventionis to so form the drum that it may beeasily mounted within the casing or housing and nrmly, but detachably,mounted therein in spaced relation to the walls andbottom of the casing.

Another object ofthe invention is to provide the drum with upper andlower end portions which are in threaded` engagement with the bodyportion of the drum so that by removing them the heating discs may beeasily inserted or removed for cleaning or replacement when necessary.

Another object of the invention is to provide a fuel heater which alsoserves as a iilter for preventing dust or other foreign matter fromreaching the intakelmanifold, and to prevent backfiring,4

Another object of the invention is to provide a fuel heater which issimple inconstruction, very compact, and consists ofy a-small number ofparts which may be easily assembled or taken apart.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein- Fig. 1is a sectional view taken vertically through the improved fuel heaterand Vaporizer and showingthesame` mounted'in position for u-se.

Fig; 2is a top plan View of the heater and Vaporizer.

Fig. 3 is a view looking down upon the casing with the drum removed.

Figure 4 is a top plan View of the heating drum.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view showing a heating disc mounted in adischarge neck of an intake manifold. g

This improved fuel heater and vaporizer has a casingv I formed of strongmetal and having its bottom 2 formedwith an opening 3 at its center.Openings l areformed through the bottom 2 to receive screws 5 by meansof which the `casing is secured upon the neck 5 which projects from theexhaust manifoldVv 6 of an internal combustion engine of conventionalconstruction and constitutesa heating chamber for the inlet neckk I andadjoining portions of the n intake manifold 8. These manifolds are ofconventional formation and constitute standard elements of internalcombustion engines.

About the upper endof the casing is formed an interna-1 annular `flange9V having threaded openings It formed in circumferentially spacedrelationto each other and intended to receive screws I I by means ofwhich a head I2 is detachably secured to the casing. VThis head or captapers upwardly and atits upper end is an inwardly projecting annularflange I3 constituting a support for a carburetor I4 which is secured tothe flange by screws I5 passed through the flange I I5 of the carburetorand into the` threaded openings I3 formed through iiange I3. A dependingexternally threaded neck or flange I'I is carried 'by the cap and isscrewed into the internally threaded upper end'portion of` a drum I8which is also internally threaded at its lower end in order to receivethe externally threaded upper end of a downwardly tapered cap or headIS.The head or cap I9 forms a throat for the lower end ofthe drum and hasits lower end'portion externally reduced in thickness to form a neck 2t'of such diameter that it fits snugly within the neck I of the intakemanifold. It will thus be seen that when the engine is started andsuction created through the intake manifold combustible mixturewithdrawn from the carburetor will pass `through the drum in order toreach the manifold. Also since the bottom 2 of the casing I is securedWhen the engine is started it is .desired toquickly heat the combustiblemixture discharged from the carburetor', in order to do so there .havebeen provided heating discs 23 and 24 which are formed of metal alloy ofsuch porosity that the fuel mixture may pass through them. These discs tinto annular recesses or seats and 26 formed in upper and lower portionsof the drum and when the drum is screwed upon the fiange Il' and thehead or throat i9 is screwed into the lower end of the drum pressurewill be applied to hold the discs firmly in place. Alt their centers thediscs are formed with bosses 2l' and 28 which are bored to form openingsthrough which a rod or post 29 is passed with its ends protruding andthreaded to receive nuts 30 and 3l so that by tightening the nuts therod may be firmly held in place. A conductor Wire 32 is clamped underthe nut B at the upper endofthe rod and a ground wire 33 is clamped tothe rod by the lower nut 33 and it will be readily understood that whenthe switch 3d is closed current will pass through the rod 29 which actsas a resistance and the discs will be heated. Therefore the combustiblefuel mixture entering the drum and passing through the discs will beheated fbefore it enters the intake manifold and delivered .to thecylinders of the engine as warm fuel instead of cold to the end that acold engine will start more quickly. After the engine has been running asuflicient length of timefor the drum to become heated by hot exhaustgases passing through the exhaust manifold and entering the heatingchamber the switch 34 may be opened and heat picked up from the exhaustgases by the drum depended upon to heat the discs.

As additional means for heating' the fuel mixture the discharge necks 35ofthe instake manifold 'are each provided with a heating disc 36 mountedin ya recess or seat 3l at the end of the neck. This disc is of the sameformation as the discs 23 and 2d and at its center is formed with anopening to receive `a rod or terminal post 38 corresponding to the rodor post 29. By providing the outlet necks of the intake manifold withthe discs fuel which may not have been suiiiciently heated bythe )discs23 and 24 or become cooled while passing through the cold intakemanifold will be reheated just prior to en- Having thus described theinvention, what is claimed is:

1. A fuel heater and vaporizer comprising a casing open at its lower endand adapted to be secured to a heating chamber of anexhaust manifold ofan engine, a cap for the upper end of said casing having an upstandingopen throat adapted to be secured to the outlet of a carburetor, adepending annular flange carried by said cap about the lower end of thethroat, a drum in said casing spaced from walls thereof and having itsupper end in threaded engagement with said flange, a head in threadedengagement with the lower end of said drum, said head being tapereddownwardly and having an open lower end constituting a neck adapted to twith- V `in the inlet ofthe intake manifold of an engine,

kfirmly in place by the flange and the head, a

rod of conductive material extending between said discs with its endportions passing through openings at centers of the discs, and nutscar-v ried by protruding upper and Vlower ends of Ysaid rod for holdingthe rod in place and clamping conductor wires of aheatingcircuit to endsof the rod.

4 2. A fuel heater and vaporizer comprising a casing having a bottomadapted to be detachably secured to a heating chamber of an exhaust manlifold of an internal combustion engine and formed with an opening forestablishing communication between the casingand the heating chamber, acap for the upper end of said casing detachably secured thereto andadapted to be detachably secured about the outlet of a carburetor, adrum in said casing spaced fromwalls thereof and having its upper enddetachably connected with said cap, a neck detachably connected with thelower end of said drum'and extending downwardly therefrom forcommunication with the inlet yof the intake manifold of an internalcombustion engine, discs of porous metal mounted in upper and lowerportions of said drum, and a rod of conductive material extendinglongitudinally in the drum between said discs with its end portionsmounted through the discs.

3. A fuel heater and vaporizer comprising a casing having one endadapted to be secured about a heating chamber of the exhaust manifold ofan internal combustion engine and formed with an opening forestablishing communication between the casing and the heating chamber, acap for the other end of said casing adapted to be securedrabout theoutlet of a carburetor, a drum in said casing spaced from walls thereofand having one end open and detachably connected with said cap, saiddrum having outstanding ciroumferentially extending ribs, and a head forthe other end of said drum constituting a throat adapted to bedetachably engaged with the inlet of the intake manifold of an in-`ternal combustion engine. Y

4. A fuel heater and vaporizerV comprising a casing having one endadapted' to be secured about an open end of a heating chamber carried bythe exhaust manifold of an internal combustion engine, a cap for thevothe-r end of said casing adapted to be secured about the outlet of acarburetor, an externally threaded flange carried by said cap, acylindrical drum in said casing having open ends `internally threadedand adjoining the threaded portions internally recessed to form annularseats, discs of porous metal mounted in said recesses, one end of saiddrum being screwed into engagement with said flange to detachably mountthe drum and holdV the disc in the said end portion `of the drum firmlyin place by abutting engagementwith the flange, and a neck screwed intothe other end of said drum and having binding engagement with the disctherein to irmly hold the disc in place, said neck projecting from thedrum and adapted for connection with the inlet of the intake manifold ofan internal combustion engine.

5. A fuel heater and vaporizer comprising al casing having one endadapted to be secured about one end of a heating chamber carried by theexhaust manifold of an internal combustion engine, a cap for the otheren d of said casing adapted to be secured about the outlet of acarburetor, a drum in said casing spaced from walls thereof and havingone end .engaged with said cap for communication with the carburetorthrough the cap, the other end of said drum being yadapted forcommunicating with the inlet of an intake manifold of an internalcombustion engine, and discs of porous metal mounted in said drum inspaced relation to each other longitudinally thereof.

Y JOSEPH'GRAZIANO.

